Heart to Heart
by Rosie Angelina
Summary: Edward awaits the arrival of Thomas at the end of his first day of work on his own branch line and they both have a sincere 'father and son' conversation. James confronts the memory of his accident and receives a glimmer of hope. Inspired by 'The Adventure Begins'. (Preceded by *Gordon will be my friend*)
1. Fatherly Love

Hello there! This is my second T&F fic, another one inspired by my favourite special. I've decided to publish it today for being the **International Day of Friendship.** :D I'm very happy to be here and having known so many wonderful persons. Friendship is the fuel of peace and joy, so I wish that you all have good friends during your whole life. As a huge T &F fan, I think it would be good to celebrate this day with a fic dedicated to Edward and Thomas' relationship. It may sound exaggerated, but this whole story came to my mind thanks to that short phrase spoken by Thomas about 20 minutes into the movie, the phrase that I wanted to include in the story icon and use it as the first chapter's subtitle. What a sentimental woman I am! XD

I want to give thanks to Jeremy and Aaroncottrell97 for having helped me with this job. You two are amazing, my friends!

I hope you all like this story. And something else; our friendly Nº 2 engine was built in 1896. So let me say: Happy 120 Years, Edward! :D

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Thomas  & Friends. All the characters who appear in this story belong to HiT. They are used for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

 **CHAPTER I**

 **FATHERLY LOVE**

* * *

 _"_ _I'm blue! Just like you!"_ -Thomas (TAB)

* * *

Not even the world's best painter would have been able to express on canvas the beauty of that awesome sunset.

The sun was just above the horizon line and a whole gamut of warm colours covered the sky peppered with clouds on the Island of Sodor. Indeed all the summer sunsets on this magical island are awesome, but this in particular seemed like a declaration of love from Heaven to Earth, for lack of a better comparison.

The view from Knapford was so privileged that Sir Topham Hatt himself had left his office at the big station to watch such wonder. Engines and workmen of the North Western Railway were enchanted by the natural spectacle, especially Henry, the engine who is a huge nature lover. Everyone was enjoying that exotic beauty. Everyone, except for one engine.

It was not that he did not like the sunset, but simply he was thinking of something else while putting some trucks into place at Knapford Yard. To be honest; he was worried. The expression of sadness in his sweet almond eyes was the proof of it. He was so worried that he watched the clock in the church's bell tower for the umpteenth time. That delay of half an hour was more than enough to alarm his heart. _"Why hasn't he come back yet?"_ thought the worried engine. _"He should already be here..."_

The worried engine was Edward. And the issue that he was concerned about was Thomas...

This has been Thomas' first day of work on his own branch line and he was taking his time to return from his last journey.

Sir Topham Hatt had given Thomas the line from Knapford Junction to Ffarquhar a few days ago after he helped James from an accident with the troublesome trucks. The days that James was at the Steamworks to be repaired, Edward has endeavoured to teach Thomas all on how to pull passenger trains; principally how to brake gently at the stations. Now that James had returned to work, Thomas could finally leave to run his branch line.

" _Off to see the world now, Thomas?"_ Edward had asked him in the morning. _"Yes, Edward! I am!_ " had responded Thomas happily as he left the yard with his new coaches Annie and Clarabel. Edward was sure that Thomas would do everything right, but even so he could not stop concerned about him all day long. And now that Thomas was taking his time to return, Edward kept looking at the clock and wondering what might have happened.

 _"_ _I can't stay stopped here any longer,"_ thought Edward. _"I must find out what happened."_ So he went to the big station.

On arriving there, he found Sir Topham Hatt sitting on a bench. He was still enjoying the sunset.

"Excuse me, sir."

"Yes, Edward?"

"I just wanted to ask if you know why Thomas is taking so long to come back."

Sir Topham Hatt smiled at him. Edward seemed like a father who worries when his son does not return home at the agreed time. "Thomas is alright," soothed Sir Topham Hatt, "there was only one little mishap. A section of McColl's Farm fence had fallen and the cows invaded the tracks before Thomas could pass through."

"Oh… So, is that why James went out with a truck of building materials?"

"Exactly."

Edward smiled with relief. "Thanks for the information, sir. Now I can wait calmly."

Sir Topham Hatt stared fondly at his Nº 2 engine. He was touched by how Edward cared about Thomas.

The engines, despite of being machines; can experiment human feelings, for they were built by humans and, in addition, they are loved by them. In fact, it was the flame of human love what gave them life and made them open the eyes when their boilers first started to bubble. Sir Topham Hatt knew it, and that is why he was not surprised that his engines could feel brotherly love. What he did not know was that they could be able to feel another kind of love too; specifically, the one he was seeing now into Edward's eyes.

"I see you already know what fatherly love is like," said Sir Topham Hatt.

Edward did not understand. "Pardon, sir?"

"Even since Thomas arrived on the island I have noticed a little change in you. The way how you care about him, the patience you have with him, your pride on seeing his achievements, your concern about his delay... That's fatherly love, Edward. It's the love that a father feels for his child. It's different from the love between siblings or a couple."

Edward raised his eyebrows. "Do you mean… I love Thomas like a son, sir?"

"Yes, I think so. And what do you think about that?"

Edward stood looking at nothing. His mind got lost amongst the memories of his relationship with Thomas…

* * *

The father-child bond between Edward and Thomas was born on the same day in which Thomas arrived on the Island of Sodor. Edward was sure that Sir Topham Hatt had bought another tender engine to help in the yard, but he was speechless when he saw a little tank engine who looked excited about having arrived at Knapford. _"You're not a big engine,"_ was Edward's first reaction. But soon he repented of what he said and a strange feeling came over him as Gordon gave a rude welcome to the newcomer. That feeling was the protective instinct which seizes a father when someone bothers his son.

 _"I'm Edward, by the way,"_ said Edward afterwards in a gentle tone, wanting to gain the trust of the little engine. And there was so much tenderness in his eyes that Thomas smiled at him sweetly, like a baby who smiles at his father for the first time. That smile of Thomas was engraved on Edward's heart, and he felt very lucky on hearing the verdict of Sir Topham Hatt: _"Edward will show you what to do."_ Without realizing, Sir Topham Hatt had assigned Edward the best task of his life: educating his son. The task was not easy for him, but it was highly rewarding.

He will never forget the joy he felt at the time that Thomas returned from the Steamworks after receiving his new paintwork. _"Look, Edward! Look!"_ had exclaimed Thomas, _"I'm blue! Just like you!"_ The expression of happiness in Thomas's face was the one of a son who is proud to resemble his private superhero: his own father. And this morning when Thomas went out to run his own branch line, Edward felt a mixture of pride and concern, just like a father who feels pride when his son finishes high school with honours but at the same time he is also concerned because his son just got his driver's license...

* * *

Edward smiled through his thoughts. _"So that's fatherly love…"_

"Edward?" called Sir Topham Hatt. "Are you there?"

"Oh… Sorry, sir," responded the kind engine. "Well, now that you have explained to me that there are several kinds of love, I think I really love Thomas like a son. I'm grateful to you, sir, for having trusted me to care for him."

Sir Topham Hatt smiled sweetly. "You know, Edward," he said, "I have no favourites among my engines because all are equally important to me, but I can't deny that you're very special. You have certain qualities that others should learn from you. That's why I wanted you to be the mentor of Thomas. You're a really useful engine and I'm quite proud of you."

Edward blushed. "I just do my job, sir."

"And you're also modest. Your face is redder than James."

Sir Topham Hatt and Edward chuckled.

"Sir, speaking of James," said then Edward, "I'm a bit concerned about him too. He was very happy when he returned from the Steamworks this morning, but then he was sad all day long. I still couldn't talk with him about that but I think it's because Annie and Clarabel belong to Thomas now."

"Oh no... I have been so busy today that I forgot to speak to him about that change. I decided to give Thomas those two coaches because they're perfect for a tank engine like him, while James can pull longer trains, even the Express. James is a special mixed traffic engine and can pull trucks and coaches quite easily, but still has a lot to learn. So I would like you to show him how to pull coaches in the coming days."

"Count on me, sir!" responded Edward. "I'll be happy to get another son."

"That's good!" Sir Topham Hatt laughed. "Well, if you still have things to do, when Thomas returns I'll tell him that you are waiting for him in the yard."

"Thanks, sir!"

Edward blew his whistle and returned to the yard with a smile on his face. Today he learned something new: there are several kinds of love. And now he felt happy to know that he was... the father of Thomas.


	2. Red and Green

Many thanks to all who have read and reviewed the first chapter, and those who have marked this story as favourite! :D

This chapter is dedicated to the Nº 5 engine that I like a lot. Originally, James would only appear at the end of this story to say "good night" to his friends, but when I wrote the first chapter I noticed he could play an important role. So I decided to divide the story into three parts and give him an own chapter. Here you'll have an idea of how I'll handle this character in my next fics, and you'll also discover one of the reasons why I like to put him together with Emily. I must confess that I identify with James in certain aspects (except in vanity, it's worth clarifying) and that's why I understand him and I defend him. ;)

* * *

 **CHAPTER II**

 **RED AND GREEN**

* * *

 _"_ _How do you know love is… passion red?"_ -James

* * *

Some miles from Knapford, in front of the farmer McColl's Farm, the workmen were removing the last cows from the tracks. Thomas was there with Annie and Clarabel waiting to pass, and next to him was James, who had just arrived with his truck of building materials. Thomas noticed that James was a little nervous. He was not the happy engine of that morning.

"Are you okay, James?" asked Thomas.

"No, Thomas. I had just returned from the wash-down and Sir Topham Hatt sent me here to get dirty again. It's not fair! I'm supposed to always keep myself clean."

"Ha! Ha! That's funny!"

"Funny? I'm serious!"

"But, James, it's impossible to always keep yourself clean. Taking trucks dirties us."

"That's no excuse! I can be called to pull coaches at any time. What will my passengers say if they see me covered in dust, peppered with grass and reeking of cows?" James looked down and sighed.

A pain pierced Thomas' heart. Now he knew why his friend was nervous. Covered in dust, peppered with grass, reeking of cows… That is how James looked after his accident some days ago. Thomas still felt sorry for not having been able to avoid the disaster despite that James had thanked him for his good intention and courage.

On seeing that James closed his eyes and his chin began to tremble, Thomas got concerned and wanted to comfort him. But he did not know if it was convenient to talk about the accident or try to distract him with another thing. So he raised his eyes to the sky as if asking for a sign.

And the sign was right there; in the sky.

"James!" exclaimed Thomas. "Look at the sky!"

"Uh?" said James as he obeyed. "What about the sky?"

"Don't you see? Red, gold, yellow... The sky has your colours! It's a tribute to you."

"A tribute… to me?"

"Of course! The Heaven is saying to you that you're a courageous, strong, useful engine, no matter whether you're clean or dirty."

James stared at the sky for a while. Then he smiled to Thomas. "I hope you're right."

Thomas returned the smile. "I know I'm right. Why do you think the sunset is so splendid just today that you have returned to w-"

"Tracks are clear, Thomas!" interrupted the farmer McColl. "You can go now."

"Thanks, sir!" said Thomas. "Well, James, I must go. I hope you feel better. See you later."

"I'll be fine, Thomas. See you."

"Bye, James," said Annie and Clarabel.

James did not answer; he just winked at his former coaches with an air of nostalgia.

Losing Annie and Clarabel was hard for James. He had returned from the Steamworks in the morning, very happy with his new brakes and his new paintwork, ready to start a new life. But he was disappointed on seeing that his coaches now belonged to Thomas. _"Sir Topham Hatt no longer trusts me to take passengers,"_ he had thought. His confidence had taken a severe knock, and now he thought that the only good thing he had was his red livery.

While the workmen unloaded the building materials from his truck, James could not avoid remember his accident. Being so close to the cows and the fallen fence made him relive that moment. The fire under his cab, the earth and the stones crashing into his face, the pain in his side, the concern about his crew, the fear and the dizziness when Judy and Jerome lifted him in the air far from the tracks... Everything was still vivid in his mind. He felt very nervous and uncomfortable. So he looked back at the sky to distract, and what happened then impressed him so much that he began to believe that the Heaven really wished to tell him something.

The stars appeared in the firmament, embellishing even more the splendid sunset with their winks. Then, as if responding to a call from sky, a soft breeze began to blow bringing along the aroma of the flowers and producing a sound like that of a song whispered to the ear. The trees waved their branches to the rhythm of the breeze's song, and their tops seemed to gently caress the sky... It was a dreamy beauty… It was a tender embrace between the Heaven and the Earth, represented in that union of the red of the sunset with the green of the trees.

" _The colours…,"_ thought James, _"Red and Green… Love and Life… Courage and Hope… Strength and Harmony… They look so good together…"_

James smiled sweetly. He knew the meaning of colours. He had learned about it at the Steamworks the previous day, after waking up from a nightmare...

* * *

 _James was lying on the ground after the accident. His face hurt him, just like his whole body. He called his crew members again and again, but without getting any response. It was obvious that the driver and the fireman had jumped out of the cab before of the derailment, but James was worried about them. He kept screaming their names, until he heard Thomas' voice._

 _"_ _James…," said Thomas sadly, "stop screaming… They have gone."_

 _"_ _Don't say that, Thomas!" responded James angrily. "How dare you!"_

 _"_ _I'm sorry, but… they have gone."_

 _"_ _No! They jumped out of my cab!"_

 _"_ _They didn't jump."_

 _"_ _I felt when they did it! I could-"_

 _"_ _James, listen… there was so much fire around your cab that-"_

 _"_ _Shut up!"_

 _"_ _-they couldn't jump."_

 _"_ _That's not true!"_

 _"It IS true…"_

 _"No! I didn't kill them! I didn't kill them! I'm not a killer! I'm not a ki-"_

 _"_ _James! Wake up!"_

 _James opened his eyes, panting desperately. In front of him was a workman, caressing his cheek and looking compassionately at him._

 _"I... I'm not... a killer," whispered James._

 _"Of course you're not," soothed the workman. "You're a good boy… You didn't kill anyone."_

 _"_ _My crew… my crew," James began to cry._

 _"_ _Calm down… They're fine."_

 _"_ _No… The fire-"_

 _"_ _Easy… They're fine… You only had a nightmare."_

 _"_ _A… nightmare?" James looked around and saw that he was at the Steamworks. "Oh…," he said and closed his eyes with embarrassment._

 _The kind workman continued caressing his cheek_ _gently. "It's all right, James," he whispered_ _as he dried James' tears, "don't cry…_ _It's all right."_

 _The nightmare had been so real that only now James remembered that his driver and his fireman were alive. They had jumped out of his cab long before arriving at the curve where the accident had happened._

 _"Do you feel better now?" asked the workman when James' breathing smoothed out._

 _"_ _Yes... I think so."_

 _"_ _Okay. You're almost ready to return to work. You only need a new paint coat. Watch those paint cans; we will paint you with the colour of love. Love is the most beautiful thing in life."_

 _James looked at the paint cans. "Red?" he asked. "Is that the colour of love?"_

 _"_ _Passion red, specifically."_

 _"_ _How do you know love is… passion red?"_

 _"_ _Well, actually love has no colour, but we give meanings to colours by associating them with feelings and abstract things. And we associate red colour with love, courage, strength, power... What do you say? Will you like it?"_

 _James thought about it a little. Then his face brightened with a charming smile. "Get on with it!" he exclaimed. "Since love is the most beautiful thing in life, that issue of passion red will make me the most attractive engine on Sodor."_

 _"Ha! Ha! Ha! Well said, handsome!" laughed the workman. "Do you want to know the meaning of other colours?"_

 _"_ _Yes! Now you made me curious."_

* * *

And James learned the language of colours while the workmen were painting him. That is why he was now trying to find some message on that awesome sunset.

 _"_ _Emerald green…,"_ he continued thinking, " _Life, Hope and Harmony… It seems like it is singing a song and talking heart to heart with the red… as if they're a couple… The green is whispering to the red 'you are the love of my life'… and the red responds 'you are the life of my love'…"_ James chuckled. " _Silly me!_ _The things my mind comes up with!"_

Perhaps the Heaven wanted to take advantage of what James knew about colours to give him a glimmer of hope, because that embrace between the red and the green resulted to be… a prophecy.

Curiously, in addition to love, courage and strength, red colour is also associated with anger and danger. And, in fact, the accident left a scar into James' soul that could make him angry and even make him dangerous sometimes: the fear. Several times, that fear would pursue him like a ghost, and, as a defence mechanism; James would invent ghost stories to prove to himself that he is afraid of nothing. Several times, that fear would make him fail at some task, and James would take refuge at his splendid red coat to feel good about himself. But despite that, he would always feel the caresses of hope in order not to give up; he would always hear the whisper of a reassuring song to get harmony into his heart. His life would have defeats, but it would also have triumphs. And his greatest triumph will be the day when the emerald green of life, hope and harmony, materialized in a precious female engine, will whisper against his cheek _"you are the love of my life"_ and James will respond with all his soul _"you are the life of my love"_...

Some gentle pats in his side pulled James out of his trance. "Let's go, boy," said his driver, "work is over."

And James returned to Knapford with a mysterious joy into his heart.


	3. Father and Son

**A/N:** This chapter may contain some exaggerated sentimentality, but there's a reason for that, and it's that I was always impressed with the fact that RWS had born thanks to the love of a father for his son, and thanks to this love, the magical Island of Sodor is today part of our lives. I like to imagine that we Thomas-fans are all adopted children of the Rev Awdry. When I first saw TAB I was almost in tears, touched by the relationship between its two protagonists. There was so much tenderness from Edward and so much innocence from Thomas that I couldn't avoid to think of them as father and son. TAB has no suspense like TOTB and no action like SLOTLT, but it has something that isn't seen in any other special: the emphasis on Thomas and Edward's friendship (as Aaroncottrell97 had said in his first comment). To me, TAB is, more than anything else, a love story between a father and his son. And this chapter is a tribute to this love.

Thanks again to all of you who have followed this story. I would like to give a big embrace to each one of you.

And allow me to dedicate this final chapter in a special way to Jeremy. Happy Birthday, my friend! May God bless you today and always! :D

* * *

 **CHAPTER III - FINAL  
**

 **FATHER AND SON**

* * *

 _"Let those tears get out… Don't feel ashamed in front of me."_ -Edward

* * *

Thomas was at Knapford, taking Annie and Clarabel to a shed. He had arrived to the big station a few minutes ago and Sir Topham Hatt told him that Edward was waiting for him in the yard, so he was eager to meet with his mentor. He left his coaches into their berth and went quickly to look for Edward.

Edward was on the other end of the yard. He had been calm since he talked with Sir Topham Hatt, because now he already knew the reason of Thomas' delay. So it was just a matter of waiting. And then he saw him. Thomas was coming close to him with a wide smile on his face. Edward's gaze was filled with tenderness. His _son_ had come back home. "That's the smile I was waiting to see," he said. "Well, you can see it now," responded Thomas, smiling even more as he applied the brakes. Thomas stopped only one metre away from him. "Were you worried about me?" asked the little engine.

"Since this morning."

"Ha! Ha! Apart from the mishap with the McColl's Farm fence, I haven't had any problem."

"Glad to hear that. Tell me about your journeys. I'm eager to know how your day was."

"Oh, Edward, the first journey was the most awesome! Everyone greeted me and the passengers who were waiting at Ffarquhar applauded when I arrived at the station. It was exciting! I already knew that people love engines, but this was something I didn't expect."

Edward smiled. "No wonder that people have applauded you. Everyone has heard about what you did a few days ago and they are happy to ride on such a brave engine. I'm very proud of you."

"Thank you, Edward," Thomas blushed. "By the way, I met Mr Coffee Pot!"

"Mr Coffee Pot?"

"Yes! The last Nº 1 engine. He was in a siding at Ffarquhar Station."

Edward thought for a while. "Ha! Ha! Ha! Oh, Thomas! His name is Glynn, if I'm not mistaken."

"Cinders and ashes… I hope he won't be upset for I've called him Mr Coffee Pot."

"Thomas... seriously," Edward tried to hold back laughter, "did you call him that?"

"Yep."

They both burst into laughter.

Edward listened to all the details of Thomas' journeys with a satisfied smile, touched by the enthusiasm and innocence he was seeing in his eyes. But what most touched Edward was the fact that Thomas, being so young, had won the top prize that an engine could want to: having his/her own branch line. Edward felt happy for having been his mentor.

"In brief," said Thomas, "I had a wonderful day. But what impressed me most was not the people's greeting, but a certain engine's greeting."

"Who was it?"

"Gordon."

"Really?" Edward smiled.

"Yes. Every time he passed me he blew his whistle and smiled from buffer to buffer. I still can't believe it! His smile changes his whole face; making him looks like a friendly engine."

"He's also impressed with you, Thomas," said Edward, "it's just that his pride doesn't allow him to show it. I had told you that he has a big heart, but I must confess that I got really scared at the time I saw him taking you hooked to the Express... It was the first time I saw him doing something like that and I didn't know what to think. He's big and strong and he can cause much damage if he chooses to do. Luckily he was considerate to you in the following days, and I felt happy on seeing a slight smile on his face when you returned home after having left James at the Steamworks. I sincerely hope that you two can get along well."

"I hope so too. I could already feel his big heart when he helped me in the yard just after the incident with the Express. It seemed he wanted to apologize for what he did."

"Yes, I was glad to see that exciting scene. And indeed, it seems that you already trust him, because you woke him up with your whistle again this morning before leaving the station."

"Oh...," Thomas remembered he had promised Edward that he would not bother Gordon with his whistle again, "well... I knew this time he wouldn't take revenge on me."

"I knew it. You already trust him."

"Ha! Ha! I think you're right, Edward. And since you mentioned it," Thomas paused and added softly, "I want to ask you to forgive me for all the times I've disobeyed you."

Edward looked at him fondly. "You don't need to ask me for forgiveness."

Thomas raised his eyebrows. "Why do you say that? You've taught me all I needed to know to be a really useful engine but I wasn't a model pupil. I laughed when you told me that the troublesome trucks would push me off the rails if I wasn't careful! I even said to you _'don't be silly, you worry too much'_! Then I got in trouble and-"

"Thomas..."

"-I made Sir Topham Hatt cross with you! And now you say I don't need to ask you for forgiveness?!"

"Thomas, easy," said Edward, "it's all alright. You're a young and enthusiastic engine, that's why sometime you had no patience to hear. I understand that. As for my worry about you, you're right that I've exaggerated a bit, but that was just because I didn't want anything bad to happen to you. Ever since Sir Topham Hatt has chosen me to show you what to do, I felt your security was my responsibility. When I saw that you went after James' runaway train, for a moment I just wanted to go to stop you, but then I remembered that a really useful engine should know to make good decisions during an emergency, so I decided it would be better if I stayed here to warn Sir Topham Hatt. But when I heard what you've done to try to avoid the accident; I realized that you're already able to make good decisions, in addition to being quite brave."

"Oh, Edward…,"whispered Thomas, "I don't know what to say… You're such a wonderful friend… Since I came here you were so good to me… Sorry for having left this morning without thanking you for what you've done for me. I'm really grateful for everything that you taught me, especially for the patience you've had with me."

"It was a pleasure, Thomas. Seeing your smile of happiness was all I want this morning. Having been your mentor was the best thing that ever happened to me. You can't imagine how happy I felt when Sir Topham Hatt said that you have shown yourself worthy of having your own branch line. My heart was about to explode."

"Wow...," said Thomas, touched by Edward's words, "I didn't know I was able to give you so much happiness… From the first day I realised that you're someone I can trust absolutely, and you can be sure it was a pleasure for me to be your pupil. But," Thomas smiled cheekily, "there is something you haven't taught me yet."

"What is it?"

"How you can tolerate Gordon's teasing."

"Oh…," Edward was taken by surprise. Patience was simply a virtue of his, so he did not have an exact answer to give. But he could not remain silent. Thomas was waiting for an answer. So he thought of something convincing to say, until he had an idea. "Before answering," he said then, "tell me what you felt when they painted you blue."

"I felt immensely happy for being the same colour than you."

"Did you forget that Gordon is also blue?"

"Not really, it's just that it meant nothing to me. He was rude to me from the moment he first saw me, as if my very presence was a nuisance. So I felt no fondness for him."

"Well, in my case the reverse happens," said Edward. "Precisely because he's rude to me, it means a lot that we are the same colour. Every time he teases me, I remember that I'm blue just like him. He may be bigger and stronger than me, but he isn't more important than me. We are two different engines, with different jobs, but we are the same colour, which means we are equally important. Try to remember it the next time he's rude to you, Thomas. I know Gordon's teasing can hurt like a whip, but you're as important as him. Fighting doesn't lead to anything good."

"It sounds a bit hard, but I'll try."

"If you want more encouragement, remember that he felt despaired on knowing that you would fetch his coaches no more, recognising in front of everyone that your work was important to him, even though he never thanked you."

Thomas gasped. "My goodness… You're right! He recognised in front of everyone that my work was important to him!"

"Do you see?"

"I was so excited at that moment that I didn't notice it! Now I felt happy for being blue like him too. Oh, Edward, if only I was as wise and patient as you!"

"You will be someday, Thomas, just have... patience."

They both laughed heartily.

"Well, we must go home now," affirmed Edward. "It's getting late."

"Wait… There is something else I want to know."

It was already dark. The splendid sunset had given way to a wonderful starry night and Edward felt tired. He just wanted to go home to get asleep. But if Thomas wanted to know something else, Edward would stay there with him all the necessary time. "Go ahead," he said.

"What can I do for you?" asked Thomas. "I owe you so much..."

"You don't owe me anything."

"No... Seriously. What can I do for you? Tell me… please?"

"Ha! Ha! Okay. I want you to promise me something."

"I'll do whatever you want."

Edward looked deeply into Thomas eyes. He did not know how Thomas would react, but he wanted to say it. He wanted to tell him from heart to heart. "Promise that you will allow me to keep on caring for you… like a father cares for his son… like a father who loves his son."

Thomas was speechless. He already knew there was a strong friendship between him and his mentor, but he did not imagine that Edward loved him like a son. Now he understood why Edward always looked at him with affection and he always 'worried too much'. Now he understood why Edward's heart was 'about to explode' when he earned his own branch line. He was a son to him. That was the reason why. A lump was formed in Thomas' throat and he had to swallow hard to be able to respond. "I p-promise..." His voice was barely audible, so he repeated the phrase and added one word that no engine had ever said to another engine. "I promise… dad."

Edward smiled tenderly. Thomas had accepted him as an adopted father. "Then you no longer owe me anything… my little one."

Thomas wanted to return the smile but the lump in his throat prevented him. His chin trembled as he struggled to hold back the tears. Edward moved slowly up to cover the distance between them and gently pressed his buffers. "If you want to cry," Edward whispered, "let those tears get out... Don't feel ashamed in front of me." Thomas closed his eyes and tears began to roll down his cheeks.

Thomas remembered the day he arrived on the island. From the moment he started working with Edward he realized he could trust him, and with the passing of the days their friendship was strengthened. He remembered the time he was at the Steamworks to be painted and a workman showed him one paint can. _"Oh!"_ exclaimed Thomas on seeing the blue colour, the same blue of his kind mentor. He remembered the time he returned to Knapford after the incident with the troublesome trucks and saw Sir Topham Hatt scolding Edward. _"I'm sorry, Edward… This is all my fault,"_ said Thomas. _"Never mind,"_ was Edward's sweet reply, _"at least we're working together again."_ Only now Thomas realized the meaning of those words: Edward did not care about the scolding from Sir Topham Hatt. The only important thing to him was that his _little one_ was back at his side safe and sound...

Those tears that Thomas shed on his running plate and splashed on Edward's buffers were tears of gratitude. Thomas was grateful for having come to Sodor and being adopted as a son by the kindest engine in the world. All the things he wanted to say in this moment, his tears were saying for him. And Edward perfectly understood, because many times tears speak better than words. In fact, Edward was crying too. Thomas could felt it. None of them needed to say anything.

A few minutes later, Thomas slowly opened his eyes. He could see the stars shining bright on the small puddle of tears that had formed on his running plate. He looked up and smiled to his _father_.

Edward returned the smile. "Ready to go home?" he asked.

"Yes. Let's go. I'm sleepy."

And they set off for home, leaving behind them a steam trail illuminated by moonlight.

As they reached Tidmouth Sheds and backed into their berths side by side, Edward breathed in the fresh air of the night and gave a deep sigh.

"Good night, Thomas," said the tired engine.

"Good night, Edward," responded Thomas. "By the way," he added innocently, "would you sing me a song to sleep?"

"What?!"

"Parents usually sing to their children..."

"O-oh..."

Edward was taken by surprise again. He never had sung in his life. _"Oh my Gosh,"_ he thought, _"what a bind!"_ He quickly tried to find one subtle way to reject Thomas' proposal, but then he remembered a song that his fireman sang sometimes. Edward thought he could sing it, since its melody was slow and not so complicated, and its lyric was perfect to dedicate to engines that wanted to learn about the virtue of patience. "Okay, Thomas," he said, "I'll sing you a song. It's called 'Patience'. But don't get angry if I sound like a sick cat."

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Go ahead, Edward! I'm all ears."

"Here I go." Edward cleared his throat and closed his eyes to concentrate on the song. Then he began to sing.

Thomas stayed open-mouthed. He had prepared himself to hear the 'sick cat', but instead, what he was hearing was an angelic male voice. Edward sang softly, without straining his voice, as any dad would sing to his baby.

Thomas attentively heard every verse of the song, impressed by its lyric. He could fully agree with the fact that thinking first can do a lot of good and how life could be so simple if one goes a little slower. He really wanted to be patient and doing everything right.

Edward continued to sing like an angel. Despite he never had sung in his life, the love for his _son_ gave him the courage to do it. And he did it perfectly.

Suddenly, Thomas' eyelids became heavy. He was too sleepy. He would have wished to stay awake up to the end of the song and give thanks to Edward afterwards, but he felt as if Edward's soft lullaby was caressing his tanks inviting him to relax and sleep…

So, Thomas let off a little of steam and closed his eyes. _"I love you, dad,"_ he thought.

The song was over. Edward himself was satisfied with his performance. "How did I do it?" he asked opening his eyes. But there was no answer. Thomas was… sleeping deeply.

Edward smiled sweetly. He stayed looking at Thomas' cute face. He always thought that Thomas' face seemed like the one of a kid. It was nice to see him sleeping so peacefully, floating on the light steam cloud that covered his small wheels. _"Sweet dreams, Thomas,"_ thought Edward. _"You'll do great things and we'll all be proud of you... And don't care about Gordon... perhaps someday we'll give him a lesson..._ _For now, just look after your branch line... And the most important: be happy... Be happy, my little one."_

Edward's thoughts were interrupted by some familiar sounds. They were Henry, Gordon and James who was coming to Tidmouth Sheds.

The three big engines saw that Thomas was asleep, so they silently backed into their berths. They all looked at the little Nº 1 with affection.

"I must admit he's a little hero," whispered Gordon.

"A little hero?" said Henry. "He's a BIG hero."

"I agree with Henry," added James with a smile. "Congratulations, Edward. Your student graduated with honours."

"Thank you, James," responded Edward. "I'm glad to see you happy again."

"I don't know how to explain… I just know I feel happy."

"That's good. By the way, I hope you'll be an excellent student too."

James was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Haven't you spoken with Sir Topham Hatt?"

"No. When I arrived from the farm I went straight to the wash-down."

"Oh... well. Sir Topham Hatt asked me to show you how to pull coaches."

"Really? Does it mean I will pull passenger trains again?"

"You're a mixed traffic engine, my friend."

"I know. But I thought Sir Topham Hatt no longer trusted me to take passengers."

"Of course he does. He just wants you to improve your techniques. He decided that Annie and Clarabel would be better for a tank engine like Thomas, while you can pull longer trains. Believe me, you'll soon be pulling passenger trains all over the island."

James' eyes were sparkling with joy. "Oh, Edward! I wish it was morning!"

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Then go to sleep right now."

"Sure! Good night!"

"Good night!" responded the other engines.

Edward looked at Thomas once more to be sure he was still asleep, and then he closed his eyes. But his attempt to rest was interrupted by Henry's voice.

"Edward…"

"Uh?"

"Were you the one who was singing earlier?"

"Y-yeah… I had to do it."

"Could you do it again?"

Edward opened his eyes wide. "No, Henry! I'm too sleepy. Besides, Thomas is already asleep and-" Edward's friends looked at him with pleading eyes and their best smiles, "oh dear…"

Poor Edward had to sing back to put the three giant engines to sleep. One by one, Henry, Gordon and James fell asleep as they enjoyed the sweet melody. And Edward was so tired that he himself fell asleep before ending the song… Sometimes it can be hard being a father.

Under the beautiful starry sky, silence reigned at Tidmouth Sheds.

Edward would become a dad again some years later, when another engine would win his fatherly heart. This time a female engine, cute and innocent like a lavender flower...

But that is another story.

* * *

 _ **THE END**_

* * *

Edward's lullaby info: "Patience" - Robert Hartshorne and Ed Welch - T&F Season 8


End file.
